Below, I have summarized and refelcted on the eight National Technology Standards. The Standard descriptions and Indicators were all taken from the text ISTE'sTechnology Facilitation and Leadership Standards: What Every K-12 Leader Should Know and Be Able to Do, by Jo Williamson and Traci Redish.
STANDARD I: Technology Operations and Concepts
The first national technology standard, Technology Operations and Concepts, ensures that schools have skilled personnel. “Technology facilitators and leaders are expected to address two distinct areas related to technology operations and concepts. The first is knowledge, skills, and understanding of technology operations and concepts. The second is the ability to continually extend knowledge, skills, and understanding of these concepts and to integrate knowledge of new technologies as they emerge” (Williamson, 2009, p. 19). The two essential conditions for achieving NETS-S are having Skilled Personnel, and Ongoing Professional Learning. This standard is the basis for all other standards. It requires the technology facilitators and technology leaders to keep their knowledge of technology up-to-date, and to make sure the teachers are aware of professional development available, and are aware of the resources and services aligned with district and state technology plans. This requires technology leaders to identify needs for growth, and to offer professional development that will facilitate the development of the understanding of technology concepts. As a facilitator, it is required to assist teachers in identifying systems, and to model appropriate strategies essential to growth.
With the increase in the technology available in school, it is important teachers are able to use the technology to increase the learning and engagement in the classroom. Over the pat ten years, there has been a significant increase in teacher computer skills from 2003-2006. There was a jump from less than 10% to 20% of staff being “Advanced” in computer skills (Williamson, 2009, p. 20). I was not surprised about these statistics, as many districts have shifted their staff developments and visions toward technology use. I think it is very important for technology facilitators to master this standard, because teachers rely on the knowledge of the facilitators to assist them in using technology in the classroom. Williamson states that one challenge with technology operations is “finding an appropriate level of emphasis on technology operations and concepts without neglecting other professional learning needs” (2009, p. 22). I agree with the content in the chapter, and the idea that achieving technology proficiency should remain an ongoing pursuit. This chapter did not present me with a great amount of new information that affected my personal experience with implementing this standard in my internship activities; however, it did make me more inclined to master the technology available on my campus so I could assist other teachers with increasing their skills. Students are more familiar with technology and it is important for teachers to continue to improve their knowledge. Marc Prensky asks: “How can we make our instruction more adaptive and, as a result, far more effective?” (Prensky, 2006, p.11). Making our instruction more effective with technology use will happen with the implementation of Standard I. This standard means facilitators demonstrate in-depth understanding of technology operations and concepts, as well as building technical proficiency among fellow educators. In my field-based internship activities, I was able to implement this standard in a few ways. I was chosen to attend a staff development in which I learned to use the new Grade Book our district purchased. I was able to master this technology, and ensure other teachers were proficient with the technology. With our new smart boards this year, I have enough knowledge and skill to teach other staff members how to use and create various flipcharts. As the campus C-tech, one of my responsibilities is to assist others with technology and ensure I know how to use it. I think I have done a good job this year helping others; and I hope to become even more proficient so I can use more technology myself as well as ensure others are increasing their knowledge. Many of the courses in this program assisted me in implementing this standard. This started in the first course when I created my first blog and uploaded a slide show. This continued with my creation of a personal wiki, an animation, an eBook, a personal digital story, and a PSA video. I increased my skills a great amount from my experience in this program, and all those experiences have helped me to implement this standard on my campus. My biggest concern and issue with this standard is the challenge for not just a couple teachers being proficient in technology, but an entire campus feeling confident and motivated enough to create projects and lessons using the technology that is available. “Over the next decade, the principal must increasingly foster a community spirit by which teachers and the techies work together to create an affordable and functional learning environment” (Price, 2005, p. 53). I have found this hesitation to use the new technology with teachers on my campus, and it is the job of the school leaders and technology facilitators to become proficient themselves, and provide professional development opportunities to increase the use of technology, and the confidence in the use of technology. Standard I: Technology Operations and Concepts, is the basis of all other standards, and it is essential that facilitators master it to be able to implement the necessary tasks. References:
Prensky, M. (2005/2006). Listen to the natives. Educational Leadership, 63 (4), 8-13. Price, B. (2005). Who’s in control of the technology-integrated school? Principal Leadership, 6(1), 51-56). Williamson, J & Redish, T. (2009). ISTE’s technology facilitation and leadership standards: What every K-12 leader should know and be able to do. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, pp. 1-55.
STANDARD II: Planning and Designing Learning Environments and Experiences This standard is challenging for facilitators and leaders to accomplish. Teachers have many long-standing beliefs about education and their practices. “Many teachers remain uncertain as to how to embed technical training into instruction and are uncomfortable assuming the role of technical trainer in their classrooms. Because they lack strategies to integrate student computer skills efficiently and seamlessly into instruction, teachers are also concerned that training students to use technology will drastically reduce the amount of time dedicated to achieving mandated content standards” (Williamson, 2009, p. 37). Many teachers are resistant to using technology at a level past exploration. This quote perfectly describes why teachers at my campus are resistant to using technology in the classroom. It is the technology leaders’ and facilitators’ goal to design and alleviate these challenges that educator face. They are to help overcome questions, guide planning, and infuse credibility into their work by keeping updated on current research. The sub-standards include designing learning opportunities, applying current research, identify and locate technology resources, plan for the management of technology resources, plan strategies to manage student learning, and identify and apply instructional design principals associated with the development of technology resources. This is a very in-depth standard, which is very challenging to implement because of teacher resistance. However, with the increase of technologies available and increase in teacher’s technology skill level, I believe the resistance is decreasing as teacher become more comfortable with using technology. I was able to implement this standard in many ways throughout my field-based experience, and I feel is one of the most important standards for the success of technology use in the classroom because without quality planning and designing of learning environments, our students will not be prepared for the ways of the 21st century. “So, if schools are to become relevant for 21st-century students and teachers, we have to make some serious changes by first understanding who are our workers (teachers) and constituents (students) and then begin doing what is needed to make education relevant for generations to come” (Schrum, 2009, p. 31). The way we can make education relevant is by implementing the technology leadership and facilitation standards and ensuring technology is being used to its fullest potential in the classroom. From my field-based activities, the biggest challenged I faced was the openness from teachers to learn the new technology, and then use it. A frustration I found within the teachers on my campus was the failure of the technology. For example, the newly installed Promethean Boards on our campus would often lose connectivity with the computer; therefore, they were not usable. Also, the laptops in the mobile cart would often be unable to log into the server. Once that end of the technology is improved, the ability to implement this second standard will as well. In Armstrong and Warlick’s article “The New Literacy: The 3 Rs Evolve into the 4 Es,” a list of action items for administrators are given for how school and district leadership can play a key role in driving and supporting new literacy. This is directly connected to the Technology Leadership Standards. One tip they provide to help implement Standard II is to “Emphasize the use of productivity tools in your technology program (word processing, spreadsheets, graphics, music, and video production). Offer professional development that supports student use of these tools as techniques for self-teaching” (Armstrong, 2004, p. 26).
One of my activities for this standard was to attend a staff development on the grade book, and then plan my own staff development to teach the use of it to the entire staff on my campus. This was a great learning experience for me because it was the first time I was able to address the entire staff and provide them steps and information to use a new system our district is implementing. I followed-up by creating several “How-To” documents displaying different tricks and simple tasks to be performed in the program.
Standard II, Planning and Designing Learning Environments and Experiences, allowed me to take on many tasks and also take on one of my first leadership activities on my campus.
References Armstrong, S. & Warlick D. (2004). The NEW Literacy: The 3Rs Evolve into the 4Es. Technology and Learning. (20-28)
Schrum, L. (2009). Leading 21st Century Schools: Harnessing Technology for Engagement and Achievement. Thousand Oaks, CA:Corwin, pp. 31.
Williamson, J & Redish, T. (2009). ISTE’s technology facilitation and leadership standards: What every K-12 leader should know and be able to do. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, pp. 1-55.
STANDARD III: Teaching, Learning, and the Curriculum This third standard describes how technology facilitators and leaders assist teachers in planning learning experiences for students. The focus is on supporting teaching and learning through curriculum development. “To implement these standards, teachers will need to know how to manage technology in the classroom and to build research-based unites and lessons of instruction. Examples and guidance in these areas are crucial components for completing the curriculum plan” (Williamson, Redish, 2009, p. 66). Leader and facilitator tasks differ. Leaders mostly focus on designing models and strategies so that others can see how the student technology standards can become a reality in classrooms, and they also model strategies. Facilitators use and apply the products and processes that leaders design and disseminate, they must model best practices for teachers when they deliver professional learning opportunities or when they teach students in the classroom, and they must create the types of documentation and resources that teachers will need to implement the plan, they must disseminate it to others and explain how to use it. The essential condition to meet performance tasks is “they must align the curriculum framework and expectations for teaching and learning to the needs and interest of digital-age learners” (Williamson, 2009, p. 62).
Throughout my field-based experience and course embedded assignments, I was able to practice this standard in many ways. Being a classroom teacher, it was easy for me to access technology and use it to teach lessons to my students. These lessons allowed students to display many of the NETS, such as Creativity and Innovation, Communication and Collaboration, Research and Information Fluency, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making, and Digital Citizenship. These are all skills students are in need of learning. These student standards are similar to Will Richardson’s Seven C’s of Learning: “Communication, Connection, Collaboration/Cooperation, Community, and Continual Learning” (Richardson, 2007, p. 97). One way I fulfilled standard three and displayed the “Seven C’s of Learning” during my internship is when I planned a couple multimedia projects in which the students used GarageBand to create Podcasts in groups from their writing. They created a storyboard, planned the pictures, and recorded their own voices. It was a great experience for them, and the projects turned out great. I acted as a facilitator of this standard when I created flipcharts for team members to use for their Promethean Boards, and when I created samples of the use of a program called Comic Life. These experiences allowed me to grow as a leader of technology, and encouraged me to continue learning more skills to share with my fellow teachers.
One difficulty with this standard is the training of teachers to use the technology, and to keep all the technology updated. “Rather than simply learning the basics of how to use technology tool, teachers must learn how to use the tool to improve teaching and learning in their classrooms. Training is embedded in instruction, not isolated from it” (Jones, 2007, p. 35). Making sure teachers know how to use the technology to improve the learning is essential. Our campus has a problem with both hardware and software malfunctions. It is frustrating as a teacher when an entire project/lesson is planned and the technology fails. Being in a very large district, I understand the challenge to ensure every campus’ laptops, smart boards, server connections, etc. are always functioning. Our current Technology Facilitator does her best to make sure this is happening, and she has guided me in taking on some of her roles this year during my field-based activities and as C-Tech.
References
Jones, E. (2007). Strategies to put instruction ahead of technology. Principal Leadership, 7(6), 35-38.
Richardson, W. (2007). The seven c’s of learning: A new c-change in education. District Administration, 43(3), 97.
Williamson, J & Redish, T. (2009). ISTE’s technology facilitation and leadership standards: What every K-12 leader should know and be able to do. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, pp. 1-55.
STANDARD IV: Assessment and Evaluation
There are four aspects of assessment technology facilitators and leaders are likely to address: using technology to assess student learning of core academic content, assessing student technology literacy, using technology to collect, analyze, interpret, and report all types of data, including student achievement data, and evaluating the implementation of technology programs (Williamson, Redish, 2009, p. 77-78). “To implement Standard IV in today’s current context, technology facilitators and leaders need an understanding of how technology can help assess student learning in core academic areas. In accomplishing these tasks, technologist must be sensitive to “over testing” and be careful to balance traditional computer-based testing and electronic tools for alternative assessment” (Williamson, 2009, p. 87).
Some of the ways to implement this standard includes: applying technology in assessing student learning, using technology to collect and analyze data, and applying multiple methods of evaluation to determine student’s appropriate use of technology resources for learning, communication, and productivity. Testing and assessment are occurring so much more in schools partly because stakeholders want to know their money is being well spent: is technology really having a positive impact on education? This school year on my campus, we have been piloting a reading assessment done entirely through a computer program called ISIP. In the past, we have done an all day, one-on-one assessment to determine the reading levels of students. This has been much more efficient so far; however many teachers are questioning the accuracy of the results for the younger students because of their developing computer skills. We just found out the whole district will be adopting this program next year. During my field-based experience, I have implemented this standard in many ways. There are many websites that provide rubric creators for teachers. One of my tasks was to create a helpful list of these sites for some of the staff members on my campus. I received a lot of positive feedback, and several teachers have taken advantage of the resource.
I feel that during lessons with the use of technology, assessment is an aspect of the lesson that becomes overlooked. Teachers need to find ways to make sure the assessment is directly aligned with the objectives, and is allowing them to determine student understanding. “Assessment is directly related to objectives and standards and includes an assessment of technology component. Assessment provides opportunities to students with varying learning styles and strengths to excel” (Schrum & Levin, 2009, p. 115). During my project in which students created podcasts, their final presentation/published Podcast was their assessment. During my grading I found it difficult to determine if the students mastered the technology component of the project; therefore, I feel I was very lenient on my grading. Assessment is one aspect of my lessons incorporating technology I hope to improve on. Lisa Wahl and Julie Duffield describe ways that technology can be used in different ways simultaneously to assess different learning styles of students. Although these take much more planning and work on the teacher’s part, it is a way to use technology to its highest potential. “Many of the technology resources that most schools already have at hand can be sued to facilitate this kind of tailored instruction” (Wahl & Duffield, 2005, p. 2). As a potential technology leader, it is my goal to become more proficient at using technology to differentiate instruction and assess students differently based on their learning needs. The performance indicators in Standard IV challenge the technology facilitator to explore and teach the many assessment options available for students.
References
Duffield, J., & Wahl, L., (2005). Using flexible technology to met the needs of diverse learners: What teachers can do.
Schrum, L. (2009). Leading 21st Century Schools: Harnessing Technology for Engagement and Achievement. Thousand Oaks, CA:Corwin, pp. 31.
Williamson, J & Redish, T. (2009). ISTE’s technology facilitation and leadership standards: What every K-12 leader should know and be able to do. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, pp. 1-55.
STANDARD V: Productivity and Professional Practice
Self-Assessment This standard deals with using technology to make professional practice more effective and efficient. This includes all steps educators take: preparing, implementing, assessing, and modifying instruction, and involving community, parents, administrators, etc. Characteristics of Effective Professional Practice are: innovative, creative, generative, adaptive, collaborative, and “fast” (Williamson & Redish, 2009, p. 106). Williamson and Redish provide conditions for this effectiveness to occur, such as a shared mission, shared responsibility, data-informed decision making, collaborative group work, opportunities for ongoing, sustained learning, and permeable boundaries to name a few (Williamson, 2009, p. 107). This standard has many performance tasks and sub-standards for implementation. These sub-standards include using technology to engage in ongoing professional development, continually evaluating and reflecting on professional practice, applying technology to increase productivity (such as modeling features, and suing examples), and using technology to communicate and collaborate with peers, parents, and the larger community in order to nurture student learning. It is my understanding that this standard requires technology leaders and facilitators to utilize technology in as many ways possible to make professional development, data-analysis, etc. more efficient. This requires ongoing professional development and skilled technology personnel.
Learn as a Learner I have implemented this standard often during my field-based activities. I have created helpful tips and guides for using certain programs. This is one of the most important standards; because teaching teachers how to use the technology is the way they will then transfer their knowledge into the classroom. It is the job of the leaders to ensure this is happening if they want technology to be used in the classroom. Schrum and Levin state: “in order to be a leader in the 21st century, school leaders need to know a lot and possess many skills” (2009, p. 5). This is especially important for technology leaders. Using technology is an excellent way to differentiate instruction.
Many of the technology resources that most schools already have at hand can be used to facilitate this kind of tailored instruction. Simple graphics software and word processors, as well as resources and tools found on the Internet, offer students a variety of ways to access content, work with information to develop understanding, and demonstrate what they know. Yet the power of this readily accessible technology may not be obvious to all teachers or to those at the site or district level who make decisions about allocating technology, professional development, and other resources (Wahl & Duffield, 2005, p. 2)
It is the role of the technology leaders to implement Standard V, and to ensure as many resources are made available as possible for the teachers on campuses. I think my field-based activities allowed me to practice and grow in this area of technology leadership.
Lifelong Learning Skills Because this is such an important standard to implement for school leaders, it is my goal to continue to educate myself on the many different technology tools available. My past interactions and collaborations with colleagues will impact my learning experience with regard to the implementation of this standard. I learned other teachers are eager to learn more about technology and how to use it, they just may be reluctant to accept the change and challenge.
Schrum, L. (2009). Leading 21st Century Schools: Harnessing Technology for Engagement and Achievement. Thousand Oaks, CA:Corwin, pp. 31.
Williamson, J & Redish, T. (2009). ISTE’s technology facilitation and leadership standards: What every K-12 leader should know and be able to do. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, pp. 1-55.
STANDARD VI: Social, Ethical, Legal, and Human Issues
Self-Assessment This standard has many facets. It deals with copyright laws, online safety, data security, and equal technology access. My district has every employee every year watch a video explaining copyright laws. We are required to watch it the week before school starts, and I know that many of us are preoccupied and never fully gain an understanding of the laws. Williamson and Redish state: “most educators do not fully comprehend copyright law and , therefore, are not able to model and teach basic principles to students. For these reasons, some violations are grounded in ignorance and confusion, not blatant disregard” (2009, p. 131). Some common tactics developed by experienced technology facilitators and leaders include: increasing their own copyright literacy, ensuring that key staff members are familiar with copyright laws, using information, curriculum, and guest speakers from key organizations promoting copyright adherence, and purchasing and training staff and students to use electronic plagiarism detection tools, such as Turn It In.
Another issue with online access is security. It is important to publish student work using different names, initials, etc. This increases security. My district’s technology leaders do an excellent job with making the best and secure tools available to our students (i.e. Moodle, Google Docs, etc.) Sub-standards include modeling and teaching legal and ethical practice related to technology use, applying technology resources to enable and empower learners with diverse backgrounds, characteristics, and abilities, identifying and using technology resources that affirm diversity, promoting safe and healthy use of technology resources, and facilitating equitable access to technology resources for all students.
Learn as a Learner This standard has revealed how I learn as a learner and how I asses my own performance in implementing this standard and indicators in my field based experience. For example, the issue of the safe and proper us of technology is essential for teachers to understand. During my internship, I planned and taught a lesson about cyber bullying and proper use of profile pages. I think as a technology facilitator, making sure the students and teachers are aware of the risks and possible conflicts that may arise as a result of web 2.o technologies in the classrooms. “There are real dangers online that our middle level students must be prepared to face” (Adelman, 2004, p. 17). During one of my courses, I created a PSA about cyber-bullying with my colleagues. Learning about the risks and statistics of cyber-bullying affected my performance in the field because I was motivated to teach my students about the possible effects of bullying.
Lifelong Learning Skills This standard has created an incentive for me to model and teach ethical practices. As regular (not cyber) bullying increases in my school, I wonder if students are taught about proper social network ethics if the cyber-bullying statistics will decrease.
Adelman, H. (2004). Teaching online safety. Voices from the middle, Volume 11 Number 3. Pp 17-22.
Williamson, J & Redish, T. (2009). ISTE’s technology facilitation and leadership standards: What every K-12 leader should know and be able to do. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, pp. 1-55.
STANDARD VII: Policies, Planning, and Budgeting for Technology Environments
Researchers repeatedly suggest that access to technology is the strongest predictor of technology use in the classroom. “Without adequate infrastructure support, teachers are easily frustrated and prone to abandon technology, dismissing it as unreliable” (Williamson & Redish, 2009, p. 147). This holds true for many teachers at my campus, including me at times. Over the course of this program and my internship, I have realized the extreme importance of implementing this standard at the leadership and facilitator levels. Without proper support, teachers will not use technology due to lack of knowledge of the programs, and technical difficulties that are delayed in being fixed.
Some common duties related to providing access to technology include planning for deployment, procurement, implementations, and maintenance/monitoring. Budgeting for technology is a very complex task, as there are many aspects of the process to keep in mind. Some may include infrastructure/connectivity, installation, professional development, software applications, technical support, operation costs, etc. “To ensure adequate access, technology facilitators and leaders must reflect on their practice and ensure that all components for successful technology deployments are implemented” (Williamson, 2009, p. 162). Technical support and availability is crucial to the implementations of all previous standards, because without working technologies, teachers can’t use them in the classroom. Solomon and Schrum state: “Many issues are found in educational communities and using technology often adds another layer of complexity to the questions all educators routinely address” (2007, p. 160).
During my field-based experience, I was able to implement this standard in a few ways. I am currently the C-tech at my campus, which involved ensuring the computer lab is functioning, and also assisting other teachers with technology issues. Although these tasks have been small, I feel they were still helpful. I was also a part of assessing the effectiveness of a reading assessment program my campus was piloting this year. As a result, our district will be purchasing the program for all elementary campuses.
References
Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0: New tools, new schools. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education.
Williamson, J & Redish, T. (2009). ISTE’s technology facilitation and leadership standards: What every K-12 leader should know and be able to do. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, pp. 1-55.
Standard VIII: Leadership and Vision
This is the standard I had the most difficult time completing during my field-based activities. This is greatly due to the performance tasks in relationship to my current position. School and district leaders, rather than classroom teachers, complete most of the tasks. In order to fulfill my internship requirements, I conducted an interview with a facilitator. I learned a lot about the vision of our district, and the many ways we strive to achieve our technology goals. This standard deals with creating a research-based vision and developing a long-range strategic plan, moving the vision to reality. “Standard VIII focuses on the ability of technologists to: inspire a shared vision among members of an organization and their key stakeholders, generate goals and strategies to move the organization toward the vision, and sustaining and garner support for change along the way” (Williamson & Redish, 2009, p. 178). Williamson and Redish provide a list of qualities of an exemplary technology plan. These include plans that are focused on student learning, grounded in research and best practices, aligned to other strategic initiatives, comprehensive, simple and clear, useful and achievable, measurable, and logical (Williamson, 2009, p. 182-83). Leaders and Facilitators are expected to lead the community in constructing visions and strategic plans for the use of technology. It requires the involvement of many people. Some sub-standards include indentifying and applying educational and technology research, applying strategies for and knowledge of issues related to managing the change process in schools, applying effective group process skills, leading in the development and evaluation of district technology planning and implementation, and engaging in supervised field-based experiences with accomplished technology facilitators and/or directors. In order to complete these tasks, I will need to gain more school experience. This being only my second year in the classroom, I still have a lot to learn about school and technology leadership, especially aspects such as budgeting, district visions, etc. One activity recommended by Schrum and Levin is to understand copyright laws, AUPs and “Netiquette.” (2007, p. 157). Being familiar with policies and procedures in the school setting will help me become more proficient with this standard. References
Schrum, L. (2009). Leading 21st Century Schools: Harnessing Technology for Engagement and Achievement. Thousand Oaks, CA:Corwin, pp. 31.
Williamson, J & Redish, T. (2009). ISTE’s technology facilitation and leadership standards: What every K-12 leader should know and be able to do.Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, pp. 1-55.
STANDARD I: Technology Operations and Concepts
The first national technology standard, Technology Operations and Concepts, ensures that schools have skilled personnel. “Technology facilitators and leaders are expected to address two distinct areas related to technology operations and concepts. The first is knowledge, skills, and understanding of technology operations and concepts. The second is the ability to continually extend knowledge, skills, and understanding of these concepts and to integrate knowledge of new technologies as they emerge” (Williamson, 2009, p. 19). The two essential conditions for achieving NETS-S are having Skilled Personnel, and Ongoing Professional Learning. This standard is the basis for all other standards. It requires the technology facilitators and technology leaders to keep their knowledge of technology up-to-date, and to make sure the teachers are aware of professional development available, and are aware of the resources and services aligned with district and state technology plans. This requires technology leaders to identify needs for growth, and to offer professional development that will facilitate the development of the understanding of technology concepts. As a facilitator, it is required to assist teachers in identifying systems, and to model appropriate strategies essential to growth.With the increase in the technology available in school, it is important teachers are able to use the technology to increase the learning and engagement in the classroom. Over the pat ten years, there has been a significant increase in teacher computer skills from 2003-2006. There was a jump from less than 10% to 20% of staff being “Advanced” in computer skills (Williamson, 2009, p. 20). I was not surprised about these statistics, as many districts have shifted their staff developments and visions toward technology use. I think it is very important for technology facilitators to master this standard, because teachers rely on the knowledge of the facilitators to assist them in using technology in the classroom. Williamson states that one challenge with technology operations is “finding an appropriate level of emphasis on technology operations and concepts without neglecting other professional learning needs” (2009, p. 22). I agree with the content in the chapter, and the idea that achieving technology proficiency should remain an ongoing pursuit.
This chapter did not present me with a great amount of new information that affected my personal experience with implementing this standard in my internship activities; however, it did make me more inclined to master the technology available on my campus so I could assist other teachers with increasing their skills.
Students are more familiar with technology and it is important for teachers to continue to improve their knowledge. Marc Prensky asks: “How can we make our instruction more adaptive and, as a result, far more effective?” (Prensky, 2006, p.11). Making our instruction more effective with technology use will happen with the implementation of Standard I. This standard means facilitators demonstrate in-depth understanding of technology operations and concepts, as well as building technical proficiency among fellow educators. In my field-based internship activities, I was able to implement this standard in a few ways. I was chosen to attend a staff development in which I learned to use the new Grade Book our district purchased. I was able to master this technology, and ensure other teachers were proficient with the technology. With our new smart boards this year, I have enough knowledge and skill to teach other staff members how to use and create various flipcharts. As the campus C-tech, one of my responsibilities is to assist others with technology and ensure I know how to use it. I think I have done a good job this year helping others; and I hope to become even more proficient so I can use more technology myself as well as ensure others are increasing their knowledge.
Many of the courses in this program assisted me in implementing this standard. This started in the first course when I created my first blog and uploaded a slide show. This continued with my creation of a personal wiki, an animation, an eBook, a personal digital story, and a PSA video. I increased my skills a great amount from my experience in this program, and all those experiences have helped me to implement this standard on my campus.
My biggest concern and issue with this standard is the challenge for not just a couple teachers being proficient in technology, but an entire campus feeling confident and motivated enough to create projects and lessons using the technology that is available. “Over the next decade, the principal must increasingly foster a community spirit by which teachers and the techies work together to create an affordable and functional learning environment” (Price, 2005, p. 53). I have found this hesitation to use the new technology with teachers on my campus, and it is the job of the school leaders and technology facilitators to become proficient themselves, and provide professional development opportunities to increase the use of technology, and the confidence in the use of technology. Standard I: Technology Operations and Concepts, is the basis of all other standards, and it is essential that facilitators master it to be able to implement the necessary tasks.
References:
Prensky, M. (2005/2006). Listen to the natives. Educational Leadership, 63 (4), 8-13.
Price, B. (2005). Who’s in control of the technology-integrated school? Principal Leadership, 6(1), 51-56).
Williamson, J & Redish, T. (2009). ISTE’s technology facilitation and leadership standards: What every K-12 leader should know and be able to do. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, pp. 1-55.
STANDARD II: Planning and Designing Learning Environments and Experiences
This standard is challenging for facilitators and leaders to accomplish. Teachers have many long-standing beliefs about education and their practices. “Many teachers remain uncertain as to how to embed technical training into instruction and are uncomfortable assuming the role of technical trainer in their classrooms. Because they lack strategies to integrate student computer skills efficiently and seamlessly into instruction, teachers are also concerned that training students to use technology will drastically reduce the amount of time dedicated to achieving mandated content standards” (Williamson, 2009, p. 37). Many teachers are resistant to using technology at a level past exploration. This quote perfectly describes why teachers at my campus are resistant to using technology in the classroom. It is the technology leaders’ and facilitators’ goal to design and alleviate these challenges that educator face. They are to help overcome questions, guide planning, and infuse credibility into their work by keeping updated on current research. The sub-standards include designing learning opportunities, applying current research, identify and locate technology resources, plan for the management of technology resources, plan strategies to manage student learning, and identify and apply instructional design principals associated with the development of technology resources. This is a very in-depth standard, which is very challenging to implement because of teacher resistance. However, with the increase of technologies available and increase in teacher’s technology skill level, I believe the resistance is decreasing as teacher become more comfortable with using technology.
I was able to implement this standard in many ways throughout my field-based experience, and I feel is one of the most important standards for the success of technology use in the classroom because without quality planning and designing of learning environments, our students will not be prepared for the ways of the 21st century. “So, if schools are to become relevant for 21st-century students and teachers, we have to make some serious changes by first understanding who are our workers (teachers) and constituents (students) and then begin doing what is needed to make education relevant for generations to come” (Schrum, 2009, p. 31). The way we can make education relevant is by implementing the technology leadership and facilitation standards and ensuring technology is being used to its fullest potential in the classroom. From my field-based activities, the biggest challenged I faced was the openness from teachers to learn the new technology, and then use it.
A frustration I found within the teachers on my campus was the failure of the technology. For example, the newly installed Promethean Boards on our campus would often lose connectivity with the computer; therefore, they were not usable. Also, the laptops in the mobile cart would often be unable to log into the server. Once that end of the technology is improved, the ability to implement this second standard will as well. In Armstrong and Warlick’s article “The New Literacy: The 3 Rs Evolve into the 4 Es,” a list of action items for administrators are given for how school and district leadership can play a key role in driving and supporting new literacy. This is directly connected to the Technology Leadership Standards. One tip they provide to help implement Standard II is to “Emphasize the use of productivity tools in your technology program (word processing, spreadsheets, graphics, music, and video production). Offer professional development that supports student use of these tools as techniques for self-teaching” (Armstrong, 2004, p. 26).
One of my activities for this standard was to attend a staff development on the grade book, and then plan my own staff development to teach the use of it to the entire staff on my campus. This was a great learning experience for me because it was the first time I was able to address the entire staff and provide them steps and information to use a new system our district is implementing. I followed-up by creating several “How-To” documents displaying different tricks and simple tasks to be performed in the program.
Standard II, Planning and Designing Learning Environments and Experiences, allowed me to take on many tasks and also take on one of my first leadership activities on my campus.
References
Armstrong, S. & Warlick D. (2004). The NEW Literacy: The 3Rs Evolve into the 4Es. Technology and Learning. (20-28)
Schrum, L. (2009). Leading 21st Century Schools: Harnessing Technology for Engagement and Achievement. Thousand Oaks, CA:Corwin, pp. 31.
Williamson, J & Redish, T. (2009). ISTE’s technology facilitation and leadership standards: What every K-12 leader should know and be able to do. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, pp. 1-55.
STANDARD III: Teaching, Learning, and the Curriculum
This third standard describes how technology facilitators and leaders assist teachers in planning learning experiences for students. The focus is on supporting teaching and learning through curriculum development. “To implement these standards, teachers will need to know how to manage technology in the classroom and to build research-based unites and lessons of instruction. Examples and guidance in these areas are crucial components for completing the curriculum plan” (Williamson, Redish, 2009, p. 66). Leader and facilitator tasks differ. Leaders mostly focus on designing models and strategies so that others can see how the student technology standards can become a reality in classrooms, and they also model strategies. Facilitators use and apply the products and processes that leaders design and disseminate, they must model best practices for teachers when they deliver professional learning opportunities or when they teach students in the classroom, and they must create the types of documentation and resources that teachers will need to implement the plan, they must disseminate it to others and explain how to use it. The essential condition to meet performance tasks is “they must align the curriculum framework and expectations for teaching and learning to the needs and interest of digital-age learners” (Williamson, 2009, p. 62).
Throughout my field-based experience and course embedded assignments, I was able to practice this standard in many ways. Being a classroom teacher, it was easy for me to access technology and use it to teach lessons to my students. These lessons allowed students to display many of the NETS, such as Creativity and Innovation, Communication and Collaboration, Research and Information Fluency, Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making, and Digital Citizenship. These are all skills students are in need of learning. These student standards are similar to Will Richardson’s Seven C’s of Learning: “Communication, Connection, Collaboration/Cooperation, Community, and Continual Learning” (Richardson, 2007, p. 97). One way I fulfilled standard three and displayed the “Seven C’s of Learning” during my internship is when I planned a couple multimedia projects in which the students used GarageBand to create Podcasts in groups from their writing. They created a storyboard, planned the pictures, and recorded their own voices. It was a great experience for them, and the projects turned out great.
I acted as a facilitator of this standard when I created flipcharts for team members to use for their Promethean Boards, and when I created samples of the use of a program called Comic Life. These experiences allowed me to grow as a leader of technology, and encouraged me to continue learning more skills to share with my fellow teachers.
One difficulty with this standard is the training of teachers to use the technology, and to keep all the technology updated. “Rather than simply learning the basics of how to use technology tool, teachers must learn how to use the tool to improve teaching and learning in their classrooms. Training is embedded in instruction, not isolated from it” (Jones, 2007, p. 35). Making sure teachers know how to use the technology to improve the learning is essential. Our campus has a problem with both hardware and software malfunctions. It is frustrating as a teacher when an entire project/lesson is planned and the technology fails. Being in a very large district, I understand the challenge to ensure every campus’ laptops, smart boards, server connections, etc. are always functioning. Our current Technology Facilitator does her best to make sure this is happening, and she has guided me in taking on some of her roles this year during my field-based activities and as C-Tech.
References
Jones, E. (2007). Strategies to put instruction ahead of technology. Principal Leadership, 7(6), 35-38.
Richardson, W. (2007). The seven c’s of learning: A new c-change in education. District Administration, 43(3), 97.
Williamson, J & Redish, T. (2009). ISTE’s technology facilitation and leadership standards: What every K-12 leader should know and be able to do. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, pp. 1-55.
STANDARD IV: Assessment and Evaluation
There are four aspects of assessment technology facilitators and leaders are likely to address: using technology to assess student learning of core academic content, assessing student technology literacy, using technology to collect, analyze, interpret, and report all types of data, including student achievement data, and evaluating the implementation of technology programs (Williamson, Redish, 2009, p. 77-78). “To implement Standard IV in today’s current context, technology facilitators and leaders need an understanding of how technology can help assess student learning in core academic areas. In accomplishing these tasks, technologist must be sensitive to “over testing” and be careful to balance traditional computer-based testing and electronic tools for alternative assessment” (Williamson, 2009, p. 87).
Some of the ways to implement this standard includes: applying technology in assessing student learning, using technology to collect and analyze data, and applying multiple methods of evaluation to determine student’s appropriate use of technology resources for learning, communication, and productivity. Testing and assessment are occurring so much more in schools partly because stakeholders want to know their money is being well spent: is technology really having a positive impact on education? This school year on my campus, we have been piloting a reading assessment done entirely through a computer program called ISIP. In the past, we have done an all day, one-on-one assessment to determine the reading levels of students. This has been much more efficient so far; however many teachers are questioning the accuracy of the results for the younger students because of their developing computer skills. We just found out the whole district will be adopting this program next year.
During my field-based experience, I have implemented this standard in many ways. There are many websites that provide rubric creators for teachers. One of my tasks was to create a helpful list of these sites for some of the staff members on my campus. I received a lot of positive feedback, and several teachers have taken advantage of the resource.
I feel that during lessons with the use of technology, assessment is an aspect of the lesson that becomes overlooked. Teachers need to find ways to make sure the assessment is directly aligned with the objectives, and is allowing them to determine student understanding. “Assessment is directly related to objectives and standards and includes an assessment of technology component. Assessment provides opportunities to students with varying learning styles and strengths to excel” (Schrum & Levin, 2009, p. 115). During my project in which students created podcasts, their final presentation/published Podcast was their assessment. During my grading I found it difficult to determine if the students mastered the technology component of the project; therefore, I feel I was very lenient on my grading. Assessment is one aspect of my lessons incorporating technology I hope to improve on. Lisa Wahl and Julie Duffield describe ways that technology can be used in different ways simultaneously to assess different learning styles of students. Although these take much more planning and work on the teacher’s part, it is a way to use technology to its highest potential. “Many of the technology resources that most schools already have at hand can be sued to facilitate this kind of tailored instruction” (Wahl & Duffield, 2005, p. 2). As a potential technology leader, it is my goal to become more proficient at using technology to differentiate instruction and assess students differently based on their learning needs. The performance indicators in Standard IV challenge the technology facilitator to explore and teach the many assessment options available for students.
References
Duffield, J., & Wahl, L., (2005). Using flexible technology to met the needs of diverse learners: What teachers can do.
Schrum, L. (2009). Leading 21st Century Schools: Harnessing Technology for Engagement and Achievement. Thousand Oaks, CA:Corwin, pp. 31.
Williamson, J & Redish, T. (2009). ISTE’s technology facilitation and leadership standards: What every K-12 leader should know and be able to do. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, pp. 1-55.
STANDARD V: Productivity and Professional Practice
Self-Assessment
This standard deals with using technology to make professional practice more effective and efficient. This includes all steps educators take: preparing, implementing, assessing, and modifying instruction, and involving community, parents, administrators, etc. Characteristics of Effective Professional Practice are: innovative, creative, generative, adaptive, collaborative, and “fast” (Williamson & Redish, 2009, p. 106). Williamson and Redish provide conditions for this effectiveness to occur, such as a shared mission, shared responsibility, data-informed decision making, collaborative group work, opportunities for ongoing, sustained learning, and permeable boundaries to name a few (Williamson, 2009, p. 107). This standard has many performance tasks and sub-standards for implementation. These sub-standards include using technology to engage in ongoing professional development, continually evaluating and reflecting on professional practice, applying technology to increase productivity (such as modeling features, and suing examples), and using technology to communicate and collaborate with peers, parents, and the larger community in order to nurture student learning. It is my understanding that this standard requires technology leaders and facilitators to utilize technology in as many ways possible to make professional development, data-analysis, etc. more efficient. This requires ongoing professional development and skilled technology personnel.
Learn as a Learner
I have implemented this standard often during my field-based activities. I have created helpful tips and guides for using certain programs. This is one of the most important standards; because teaching teachers how to use the technology is the way they will then transfer their knowledge into the classroom. It is the job of the leaders to ensure this is happening if they want technology to be used in the classroom. Schrum and Levin state: “in order to be a leader in the 21st century, school leaders need to know a lot and possess many skills” (2009, p. 5). This is especially important for technology leaders. Using technology is an excellent way to differentiate instruction.
Many of the technology resources that most schools already have at hand can be used to facilitate this kind of tailored instruction. Simple graphics software and word processors, as well as resources and tools found on the Internet, offer students a variety of ways to access content, work with information to develop understanding, and demonstrate what they know. Yet the power of this readily accessible technology may not be obvious to all teachers or to those at the site or district level who make decisions about allocating technology, professional development, and other resources (Wahl & Duffield, 2005, p. 2)
It is the role of the technology leaders to implement Standard V, and to ensure as many resources are made available as possible for the teachers on campuses. I think my field-based activities allowed me to practice and grow in this area of technology leadership.
Lifelong Learning Skills
Because this is such an important standard to implement for school leaders, it is my goal to continue to educate myself on the many different technology tools available. My past interactions and collaborations with colleagues will impact my learning experience with regard to the implementation of this standard. I learned other teachers are eager to learn more about technology and how to use it, they just may be reluctant to accept the change and challenge.
Schrum, L. (2009). Leading 21st Century Schools: Harnessing Technology for Engagement and Achievement. Thousand Oaks, CA:Corwin, pp. 31.
Wahl, L., & Duffield, J. (2005). Using flexible technology to meet the needs of diverse learners. Retrieved from http://www.wested.org/online_pubs/kn-05-01.pdf
Williamson, J & Redish, T. (2009). ISTE’s technology facilitation and leadership standards: What every K-12 leader should know and be able to do. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, pp. 1-55.
STANDARD VI: Social, Ethical, Legal, and Human Issues
Self-Assessment
This standard has many facets. It deals with copyright laws, online safety, data security, and equal technology access. My district has every employee every year watch a video explaining copyright laws. We are required to watch it the week before school starts, and I know that many of us are preoccupied and never fully gain an understanding of the laws. Williamson and Redish state: “most educators do not fully comprehend copyright law and , therefore, are not able to model and teach basic principles to students. For these reasons, some violations are grounded in ignorance and confusion, not blatant disregard” (2009, p. 131). Some common tactics developed by experienced technology facilitators and leaders include: increasing their own copyright literacy, ensuring that key staff members are familiar with copyright laws, using information, curriculum, and guest speakers from key organizations promoting copyright adherence, and purchasing and training staff and students to use electronic plagiarism detection tools, such as Turn It In.
Another issue with online access is security. It is important to publish student work using different names, initials, etc. This increases security. My district’s technology leaders do an excellent job with making the best and secure tools available to our students (i.e. Moodle, Google Docs, etc.) Sub-standards include modeling and teaching legal and ethical practice related to technology use, applying technology resources to enable and empower learners with diverse backgrounds, characteristics, and abilities, identifying and using technology resources that affirm diversity, promoting safe and healthy use of technology resources, and facilitating equitable access to technology resources for all students.
Learn as a Learner
This standard has revealed how I learn as a learner and how I asses my own performance in implementing this standard and indicators in my field based experience. For example, the issue of the safe and proper us of technology is essential for teachers to understand. During my internship, I planned and taught a lesson about cyber bullying and proper use of profile pages. I think as a technology facilitator, making sure the students and teachers are aware of the risks and possible conflicts that may arise as a result of web 2.o technologies in the classrooms. “There are real dangers online that our middle level students must be prepared to face” (Adelman, 2004, p. 17). During one of my courses, I created a PSA about cyber-bullying with my colleagues. Learning about the risks and statistics of cyber-bullying affected my performance in the field because I was motivated to teach my students about the possible effects of bullying.
Lifelong Learning Skills
This standard has created an incentive for me to model and teach ethical practices. As regular (not cyber) bullying increases in my school, I wonder if students are taught about proper social network ethics if the cyber-bullying statistics will decrease.
Adelman, H. (2004). Teaching online safety. Voices from the middle, Volume 11 Number 3. Pp 17-22.
Williamson, J & Redish, T. (2009). ISTE’s technology facilitation and leadership standards: What every K-12 leader should know and be able to do. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, pp. 1-55.
STANDARD VII: Policies, Planning, and Budgeting for Technology Environments
Researchers repeatedly suggest that access to technology is the strongest predictor of technology use in the classroom. “Without adequate infrastructure support, teachers are easily frustrated and prone to abandon technology, dismissing it as unreliable” (Williamson & Redish, 2009, p. 147). This holds true for many teachers at my campus, including me at times. Over the course of this program and my internship, I have realized the extreme importance of implementing this standard at the leadership and facilitator levels. Without proper support, teachers will not use technology due to lack of knowledge of the programs, and technical difficulties that are delayed in being fixed.
Some common duties related to providing access to technology include planning for deployment, procurement, implementations, and maintenance/monitoring. Budgeting for technology is a very complex task, as there are many aspects of the process to keep in mind. Some may include infrastructure/connectivity, installation, professional development, software applications, technical support, operation costs, etc. “To ensure adequate access, technology facilitators and leaders must reflect on their practice and ensure that all components for successful technology deployments are implemented” (Williamson, 2009, p. 162). Technical support and availability is crucial to the implementations of all previous standards, because without working technologies, teachers can’t use them in the classroom. Solomon and Schrum state: “Many issues are found in educational communities and using technology often adds another layer of complexity to the questions all educators routinely address” (2007, p. 160).
During my field-based experience, I was able to implement this standard in a few ways. I am currently the C-tech at my campus, which involved ensuring the computer lab is functioning, and also assisting other teachers with technology issues. Although these tasks have been small, I feel they were still helpful. I was also a part of assessing the effectiveness of a reading assessment program my campus was piloting this year. As a result, our district will be purchasing the program for all elementary campuses.
References
Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2007). Web 2.0: New tools, new schools. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education.
Williamson, J & Redish, T. (2009). ISTE’s technology facilitation and leadership standards: What every K-12 leader should know and be able to do. Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, pp. 1-55.
Standard VIII: Leadership and Vision
This is the standard I had the most difficult time completing during my field-based activities. This is greatly due to the performance tasks in relationship to my current position. School and district leaders, rather than classroom teachers, complete most of the tasks. In order to fulfill my internship requirements, I conducted an interview with a facilitator. I learned a lot about the vision of our district, and the many ways we strive to achieve our technology goals.This standard deals with creating a research-based vision and developing a long-range strategic plan, moving the vision to reality. “Standard VIII focuses on the ability of technologists to: inspire a shared vision among members of an organization and their key stakeholders, generate goals and strategies to move the organization toward the vision, and sustaining and garner support for change along the way” (Williamson & Redish, 2009, p. 178). Williamson and Redish provide a list of qualities of an exemplary technology plan. These include plans that are focused on student learning, grounded in research and best practices, aligned to other strategic initiatives, comprehensive, simple and clear, useful and achievable, measurable, and logical (Williamson, 2009, p. 182-83). Leaders and Facilitators are expected to lead the community in constructing visions and strategic plans for the use of technology. It requires the involvement of many people. Some sub-standards include indentifying and applying educational and technology research, applying strategies for and knowledge of issues related to managing the change process in schools, applying effective group process skills, leading in the development and evaluation of district technology planning and implementation, and engaging in supervised field-based experiences with accomplished technology facilitators and/or directors.
In order to complete these tasks, I will need to gain more school experience. This being only my second year in the classroom, I still have a lot to learn about school and technology leadership, especially aspects such as budgeting, district visions, etc. One activity recommended by Schrum and Levin is to understand copyright laws, AUPs and “Netiquette.” (2007, p. 157). Being familiar with policies and procedures in the school setting will help me become more proficient with this standard.
References
Schrum, L. (2009). Leading 21st Century Schools: Harnessing Technology for Engagement and Achievement. Thousand Oaks, CA:Corwin, pp. 31.
Williamson, J & Redish, T. (2009). ISTE’s technology facilitation and leadership standards: What every K-12 leader should know and be able to do.Eugene, OR: International Society for Technology in Education, pp. 1-55.